Updates on US Gambling Law

Last saturday's news about the internet gambling ban created strong reactions over the weekend in the media and on message boards all over internet. "The American people should be outraged that Congress has hi-jacked a vital security bill with a poker prohibition that nearly three fourths of the country opposes" said Michael Bolcerek, leader of Poker Players Alliance.

74% of Americans oppose federal attempts to ban Internet poker and online gambling in general. "If the goal of Congress is to protect people from the possible dangers of gambling, a prohibition is the worst way of achieving it" Bolcereck pointed.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, admitted that they can’t monitor every online gambler or regulate offshore gambling, and there are strong reservations within the US banking sector about this measure. The bill also doesn't clarify whether the 1961 Wire Act applies to casino and poker gambling online and this can be viewed as a small victory for the online gambling industry.

Important Note for players: Nothing in this bill criminalizes your behavior as the bettor, this measure is focused to stop US banking, e-payment services and payment processors in the gambling industry. Little is going to change in the short term for online gamblers, and most is still to be discussed.